By Associated Press January 9 at 1:56 PM QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador’s foreign minister says the country is seeking possible mediation to resolve the case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been in asylum at its London embassy for more than five years.Maria Fernanda Espinosa said at a news conference on Tuesday that notable asylum cases in recent years have sometimes required mediation by a third country.Assange has been at the embassy since June 2012 to avoid a Swedish extradition request on a case of alleged rape. While Sweden has at least temporarily dropped that investigation, British officials say they’d still arrest him on charges of bail jumping. Assange also fears a possible U.S. extradition request stemming from the leaking of classified U.S. documents.Espinosa says her country is seeking solutions, saying the situation “is not sustainable.”

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador has granted citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after more than five years of living in asylum at the nation's embassy in London, officials announced Thursday.

Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa said officials accepted Assange's request for naturalization in December, and they continue to look for a long-term resolution to a situation that has vexed officials since 2012.

"What naturalization does is provide the asylum seeker another layer of protection," Espinosa said.

Assange's attorney says the warrant has no purpose because he is no longer wanted for questioning in Sweden over alleged sex offenses.

Swedish prosecutors dropped the case last year. But Assange still faces arrest if he leaves the embassy of Ecuador in London, where he has been holed up since 2012. He is wanted for jumping bail and taking refuge in the embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden.